Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor of H.R. 60.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor a nonprofit organization in Austin for their outstanding achievements. The Comfort Crew for Military Kids develops and delivers programs to help support the children in our Gold Star families who serve around the world.

This month, the organization is celebrating their 10th anniversary. As a Congressman from Fort Hood, the largest military base, Comfort Crew for Military Kids holds a very special place in my heart. For too long, military families have faced constant struggles and have had few places to turn. The Comfort Crew helps provide relief for these American families who sacrifice so much for our country.

I have personally met with Comfort Crew both in Washington and, just last month, in Austin, Texas. While I was in Austin, I was fortunate enough to lend a hand, assembling care packages for the military children whose parents are deployed. These care packages may not seem like much in comparison to what these kids are giving up in return; however, they provide some comfort and solace.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Comfort Crew for their selfless efforts. They have had an impact on over 1 million military family members. In this unstable world, it is vital that we support these military families that give so much to us.

I am proud to represent this organization and will continue to do everything I can to ensure our military children receive the support they need and the support they deserve.

In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about H. Res. 133, a bill I introduced with my friend and Texas colleague, Congressman Marc Veasey.

This resolution expresses support for the designation of April 11 as National Pet Adoption Day and the month of April as National Pet Adoption Month. Simply, we are aiming to highlight the importance of pet adoption.

Mr. Speaker, each year, 2.7 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States. As a rancher and lifelong animal lover, this is heartbreaking.

The Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA, Animal Welfare Institute, and local shelters such as PAWS Shelter of Central Texas have endorsed this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, we request that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe April 11 as National Pet Adoption Day and the month of April as National Pet Adoption Month.

More than 60 Members of Congress have signed on to our bipartisan resolution, and I encourage others to do so. For those who may be watching this back home, call your Representative in Washington and have them support this bill.

In God We Trust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on tax reform. Many of my colleagues know this is a matter that I am the most passionate about.

Mr. Speaker, I am a second-generation small-business owner, and my daughters are third-generation. I understand firsthand the impact that unfair, job-killing taxes and regulations have on Main Street.

I know what it is like to nearly lose a family business that was built from the ground up just because the Federal Government believes in a death tax.

This, my friends, is a tax that strips families of the American Dream they worked so hard to achieve.

The inheritance tax takes money from folks who know how to use it to create jobs and donate to charities and puts it in the hands of those responsible for a $20 trillion national debt.

Mr. Speaker, I came up here to speak on behalf of the job creators that employ more than half of America's workforce. These are the men and women who suffer directly from politicians' knee-jerk reactions, politicians who have never met a payroll and have never worked in the private sector.

Congress has talked about tax reform for decades, but we haven't seen major reforms in 30 years. Again, I am asking this Congress and this President to act now.

In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. and Mrs. Michael Miller on the 50th Anniversary of their marriage on February 23, 1967. Their 50 years of dedication and love for one another should be an inspiration to us all.

Michael Joseph Miller and Margret Anne Miller met in Plymouth, England in 1965 while Michael was on assignment as a submariner in the Royal Canadian Navy. Following their marriage and the birth of three children, Sarah, Mark, and Simon, the Millers lived and worked in both Canada and England before moving to Michigan in 1979 just prior to the birth of their youngest child, Miles.

On July 4, 1996, the day of our Nation's independence, Mr. and Mrs. Miller became naturalized U.S. citizens. Inspired by this, all of their children have become naturalized citizens, while their youngest son, Miles, currently serves as a Captain in the United States Army.

In 2007, Michael and Margret retired to Lakeway, Texas, which is in the district which I represent. They live happily there to this day, enjoying the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country.

Mr. Speaker, I would once again like to congratulate them on this happy day for them, their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution, providing congressional disapproval of a rule submitted by the SEC relating to disclosure of payment by resource extraction issuers.

Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Act requires a public company engaged in the commercial development of natural gas, minerals, or oil to report payments made to foreign governments for these natural resources.

At a time when our President and my Republican colleagues are looking to cut regulations on businesses, the SEC estimates that ongoing compliance costs for this rule to be as high as $591 billion. Let me say that again: one agency, one rule, $591 billion.

Let me go back to something many of my colleagues have already mentioned today, the SEC mission. I will quote from their own website. The mission of the SEC is to ``protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation.''

If investor protection is truly the mission of the SEC, then why was this provision of the Dodd-Frank listed in the section titled ``miscellaneous provisions''?

Mr. Speaker, American companies should be protected, and no one denies that. But to put them at a competitive disadvantage against their foreign counterparts by implementing this rule is just plain wrong.

Now, my friends on the other side of the aisle will argue that Republicans are gutting an important transparency policy meant to combat corruption. Well, Mr. Speaker, my response to those claims are this: Republicans are the party of transparency. We value accountability. But in this instance, the Dodd-Frank Act instructed a Federal agency, without any substantial experience in resource extraction or foreign policy, to craft this mandatory disclosure for certain public companies. As many of my colleagues have said today, industry is already publicly disclosing the work they do in foreign countries and will continue to do so. The difference is simple; they do it at a level that does not cause competitive harms.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this resolution and erase a top-down, Washington-knows-best provision that is harmful to American companies and American investors. We should and can do it better.

In God We Trust.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.

Madam Speaker, barring the use of certain Federal funding for abortion is not a new concept. The Hyde amendment has, more or less, called for this ban for 40 years, but the Hyde amendment is not permanent and must be reintroduced every year for it to go into effect. As such, it has been reformed from time to time, and, sooner or later, I believe it will cease to be implemented; so it is time to make the Hyde amendment permanent law. It is long overdue.

Madam Speaker, this bill we are debating is not about man versus woman; it is not about liberal versus conservative; H.R. 7 is not about taking away the rights of a woman. It is about protecting the rights of the unborn because, at the end of the day, this is what this comes down to. Who knew something so obviously and so morally right would be so controversial?

I ask my colleagues to support this bill as we protect the lives of those who cannot speak for themselves.

In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to reaffirm this Congress' commitment to America's greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.

Last week, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to object to the United Nations Security Council anti-Israel resolution. H. Res. 11 was supported by most Democrats and all but four Republicans. The House vote was prompted by the Obama administration's refusal to use its veto power to shoot down a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements.

As I wrote in a recent op-ed: This U.N. resolution was one-sided. It failed to recognize that Israel is the only Jewish state and that it is fighting for survival every single day. This U.N. resolution will be used to justify the actions of those who want to wipe Israel off the map.

As I speak, we are still mourning Sunday's attack on a group of Israeli soldiers that left four dead and more than a dozen injured.

Mr. Speaker, I think most of us can agree that U.S.-Israel relations have hit a low point under this administration. When I first ran for Congress 4 years ago, I ran on a seven-point platform that included standing with Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I will not waver in my support for our friend. I hope the incoming administration sets a new tone in reestablishing America's alliance with the Jewish state.

In God we trust.

Mr. Chair, I rise today not only in strong support of the

HALOS Act but for the entrepreneurs everywhere in this country.

The facts are simple. Angel investors provide vital, often necessary capital for startup companies. Unfortunately, after the passage of the JOBS Act, the SEC made this more difficult, placing unnecessary burdens on companies who are just starting out.

Mr. Speaker, the positive impact these startups often have on a community are staggering. In the City of Austin, which I am proud to represent, startup companies provide more than just new technologies. They provide jobs, they generate taxes, and they give back to their local community. In 2015 alone, tech companies in Austin were able to raise almost a billion dollars in new capital. With our economy still on the mend from the financial collapse in 2007, it is time to give businesses, both large and small, the resources they need to compete in an often competitive environment.

H.R. 79 rightly amends the SEC Act of 1933 to formally define an angel investor group and exempts them from having to comply with burdensome, third-party verification rules. The HALOS Act provides essential protection for trade associations that often facilitate such meetings between investors and fund managers, continuing to cultivate small business capital formation relationships. This change may be small, but the impact will be great.

Mr. Speaker, I will end my remarks by saying this: If the 115th Congress is serious about jobs, serious about turning our economy around, and serious about real change, passing bills like the HALOS Act will be paramount to our success.

I urge all Members to support Chairman Chabot's bill.

``. . . to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings; . . .''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2016 Lake Travis Cavaliers on winning their sixth State championship in Texas. I am proud to say that the L.T. takeover of class 6A high school football is complete.

The Lake Travis Cavaliers, led by their head football coach, Hank Carter, defeated The Woodlands in grand fashion by a score of 41-13. Coach Carter has assembled a great coaching staff and built Lake Travis into one of the best high school football programs in the State of Texas. I look forward to seeing what the program will continue to accomplish in the coming seasons under Coach Carter's leadership.

I would also like to congratulate senior quarterback Charlie Brewer who was the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors' high school player of the year. Charlie led the offense to a big win and finished the season with a record-breaking 75 percent completions. I wish Charlie and the rest of the seniors the best of luck in their future endeavors.

This season will go down in the history books for Lake Travis High School. Great job to Coach Carter and the 2016 team.

Mr. Speaker, Texas is the greatest football State in America, and because Lake Travis High School is the greatest team in Texas, it most certainly must be the greatest high school team in the country, if not the world if you ask me.

Go Cavaliers. In God We Trust.

Mr. Speaker, last November, the American people spoke loud and clear about wanting real change in Washington. The American people want Washington to work for them--no more empty promises and no more talk.

Mr. Speaker, the American people want their government to act, and Congress' time to act is now. I come here today to offer a solution to an issue that has been discussed, but not truly acted on, for decades. Time and time again, from Congress to Congress, lawmakers come down to this floor to talk about the need for tax reform.

As a current small business owner for all of my working life, I understand what is killing small businesses firsthand. Since I came to Congress, I have been outspoken on the need to reform our Tax Code, and I have a proposal to make it happen. My tax reform plan will simplify our Tax Code. It will give job creators the tools they need to succeed and empower America's greatest asset--the American worker. My tax reform plan will do exactly what its name says it will do--jump-start America.

Today, the Internal Revenue Code is often called complicated, uncompetitive, and unfair; and rightfully so. According to the Tax Foundation, Federal tax laws and regulations have grown to more than 10 million words in length. Imagine how much easier tax season would be for all of us if we shrank our individual income tax thresholds to two brackets. What if our Tax Code actually put American taxpayers first, in other words, treated us like a customer?

The United States has the highest corporate tax rate in the free world. Sure, deductions, exclusions, and tax credits occasionally lower that rate, but these add further to the Tax Code's complexity, and they allow carve-outs for special interests.

To those who believe our corporate tax rate is okay the way it is, I ask you to consider why American companies are moving their headquarters overseas. In order to incentivize these companies to return their investments in expansion and employment back home in America, my plan will implement a permanent tax holiday to allow repatriation of funds at 5 percent.

While the corporate tax rate is putting the United States at a disadvantage in the global economy which we all live, the most unfair tax facing many Americans is inheritance tax. The death tax, as it is more commonly referred to, is a form of double taxation that can take a generation's worth of sweat equity and hard work and destroy it if a family business, for example, is passed down to a next of kin.

That is what nearly happened to me after the death of my parents. Fortunately for me, I was able to gather the resources to keep my father's business afloat. Many of my friends have not been so lucky.

We cannot force owners and operators to sell off parts of a business just so the Federal Government can collect a few extra dollars equal to less than 1 percent of Federal revenue. Especially considering our government is running a huge deficit and a $20 trillion national debt, I would argue that the private sector is a much better steward of budgeting, investing, and creating return on investment than the Federal Government. That is why Jump-Start America will repeal the death tax once and for all.

These are a few of the notable reforms of Jump-Start America that I talk about on the road in Texas and nationwide. Jump-Start America has gained the support of Americans for Tax Reform and former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin. It was called ``a good plan'' by the Cato Institute.

As a small business owner, I can tell you my plan will put people back to work, encourage business and individuals to spend money they didn't have before, and grow the economy. It is a thing called the American Dream. While Jump-Start America is a small business perspective on tax reform, it will benefit every American individually and our Nation as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues, especially the newer Members, to familiarize themselves with my plan as we work to implement an aggressive pro-

growth agenda under new leadership on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

In God We Trust.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand here today with my Texas colleagues and say a few words about our most treasured friend, mentor, leader, and hero, Ralph Hall. Ralph's lifetime of service to his country and fellow man are full of victories, as we already heard, and highlights too numerous to count.

As a young lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, Ralph served his country and flew planes in World War II. Once the next Congress convenes, we will sorely miss the only two remaining World War II veterans currently in Congress, also including Congressman Dingell.

Ralph Hall has an appreciation for America that very few of us can understand. He understands sacrifice, he understands service, and he understands putting one's self aside for the greater good.

My friend has always been an accomplished businessman, having successfully served in a number of executive roles in the private sector. He brought his business savvy and military experience to Congress, which undoubtedly contributed to his reputation for being one of the most respected and well-liked Members we have ever had.

His ability to bring humor into every situation was not just to get a laugh; it was his unique way of bringing different viewpoints together to find common ground.

Mr. Speaker, Congressman Ralph Hall has served north Texas well and deserves recognition for his many legislative accomplishments. I am grateful to have served with my friend and a patriot whose leadership, spirit, and statesmanship will always be greatly missed.

I wish him all the best as he continues to serve Texas, America, and his community back home. I will always pray for Ralph and his family.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Congressman John Carter, for his words, but, more importantly, for the many years of hard work he has put forth to care for the soldiers at Fort Hood.

Mr. Speaker, the 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood was an unthinkable tragedy. At that time it was the only story the news reported for days. Who was this murderer? Why did he do it? Could there be more like him? Are our other military installations at increased risk of this type of attack too? How did we not see this coming?

After the attacks on September 11 we asked these same questions. That is the difference between workplace violence and a terrorist attack. The Fort Hood shooter was not a disgruntled employee who took his anger out on his colleagues. He was a hate-filled, vengeful Islamic extremist who intentionally planned the horrendous terrorist attack and carried it out with no remorse.

Islamic extremists like him want us to fear them every single day. They want to hit us where it hurts--by taking innocent American lives and waging war on our military members. They have zero regard for human life--not even their own. That is why our response to terrorist attacks on American soil must be consistently tough, precise, and without hesitation.

At the memorial service honoring the lives of 13 Americans and one unborn, President Obama pledged to take care of those who were injured and the families of those killed. Yet 5 years later he has completely neglected them. Because President Obama designated the attack workplace violence, these men and women are not eligible to receive the benefits, treatment, and compensation that combat troops killed and injured in combat zones receive.

This negligence has caused many injured victims to have to pay their own out-of-pocket expenses for treatment, costing some hundreds of thousands of dollars. One victim was pulled off Active Duty. Her paycheck went from $1,400 a month to $200 a month, and she lost her military health insurance. Others scrape by on disability payments but still have to pay the remainder of their medical bills from their own pocket. My friend Sergeant Alonso Lunsford was shot seven times but was turned away when he tried to check into an Army PTSD clinic due to the fact that he was not injured in combat.

This is not my definition of taking care of our Nation's heroes. However, the National Defense Authorization Act gives the Obama administration yet another opportunity to honor his pledge to provide for these men and women who were victims of terrorism.

This bicameral, bipartisan bill provides authorization for awarding the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces killed or wounded in a domestic attack inspired by a foreign terrorist organization. This is a commonsense solution that should have happened immediately following the attack at Fort Hood.

I want to thank Chairman McKeon and again Congressman Carter for their tireless work on behalf of their troops, and the many of my Texas colleagues who have joined the fight to restore justice. Just as we united as a country after these senseless attacks, let's once again unite as Americans to fight for the truth and honor of our fallen and demand justice for the victims of terrorism. In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper will be inducted into the National Football Foundation's Leadership Hall of Fame on January 8th, 2015.